How to develop a stormwater utility fee

Bulletin No. 3
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SERIES
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 1
For More Information
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
3800 N. Classen Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
(405) 530-8800
www.owrb.state.ok.us
Oklahoma Dept. of Emergency Management
P.O. Box 53365
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3365
(405) 521-2481
OKLAHOMA
Tulsa Field Office
State Agencies Bldg., Rm. 2
440 S. Houston
Tulsa, OK 74127
(918) 581-2924
Woodward Field Office
2411 Williams Ave., Ste. 116
Woodward, OK 73801
(580) 256-1014
Lawton Field Office
601 “C” Avenue, Ste. 101
P.O. Box 886
Lawton, OK 73502
(580) 248-7762
McAlester Field Office
321 S. 3rd Street, Ste. 5
McAlester, OK 74501
(918) 426-5435
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District
Floodplain Management Division
1645 S. 101st East Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74128
(918) 669-4919
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Region VI
800 N. Loop 288
Denton, TX 76209-3606
(940) 898-5399
www.fema.gov/nfip
FEDERAL
This bulletin was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the
United States Government. The views and opinions expressed herein do not
necessarily reflect those of the United States Government or any agency
thereof.
This publication was developed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board
(OWRB) and published with funding from the Community Assistance Program
under cooperative agreement No. EMT-2005-GR-0010 between the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, State of Oklahoma Department of Civil
Emergency Management and OWRB. To obtain printed copies, please
contact the OWRB at 405-530-8800 or pubinfo@owrb.state.ok.us.
Published by the
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
2
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee
Absorbent soils and lands in a community are gradually replaced by less
permeable surfaces, such as parking lots and driveways. Water that once
settled in hollows, meandered around stream curves, and seeped and
soaked into the ground, now speeds downhill, spills into low areas, and
overfills clogged ditches. As a result, flooding occurs more frequently.
Contingent upon any comprehensive plan to control flooding is a strategy
for managing stormwaters. Oklahoma’s progressive cities regard
stormwater management as a service they owe their customers. As a
result, an increasing number of cities are passing ordinances that
recognize this “forgotten utility.” Cities often include stormwater drainage
fees in monthly water/sewer bills. The fees are used to create dependable,
dedicated funds for maintaining stormwater removal systems. Additionally,
this fee can be used for the treatment of stormwater pollution to meet EPA
standards before it is discharged in rivers, lakes, and streams.
Stormwater Management:
The Forgotten Utility
Which residents should be responsible for paying a stormwater utility fee?
Stormwater runs off every property in the city. Residents on both hillsides and lowlands contribute to runoff. Everyone
creates the problem, so everyone should help in its solution.
What is the difference between the stormwater drainage fee and the charge for sewer service on
my utility bill?
The stormwater drainage fee is entirely separate from the sewer (wastewater) system fee. Stormwater drainage
consists of a network of ditches, streams, and underground pipes that safely carry away excess water or runoff. The
wastewater system disposes of water that goes down household drains from sinks, tubs, toilets, and washing
machines.
Why do we need a
stormwater or drainage
fee?
The fee is necessary to maintain
and improve the facilities that
safely carry stormwaters away.
It can be used for the following:
• Inspecting and repairing
storm drains and pump
stations.
• Removing silt and debris
from ditches, creeks, and
streams.
• Improving detention basins.
• Developing a master drain-age
plan.
• Constructing small projects.
• Complying with local flood-plain
management regula-tions.
• Maintaining the flood carrying
capacity of improved or man-made
channels.
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 2
Stormwater Utility Fee Q &A
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 3
How much would a stormwater utility fee add to my
bill?
The cost of abating flood damage caused by inadequate stormwater
drainage systems is affordable if it is allotted equitably among all
citizens in a community. However, public and private costs can be
substantial when floodwaters swamp debris-choked creeks and
channels, clogged and collapsed sewers, and neglected pump
stations.
• Tulsa set its utility fee based on essential costs, and then appor-tions
them among all homes and businesses. Homeowners pay a
stormwater utility fee of $3.10 per month for every 2,650 square
feet of impervious surface on their properties. Tulsa’s program
generates approximately $13 million each year for operation and
maintenance of its stormwater program and the construction of
small flood mitigation projects.
• Oklahoma City’s stormwater utility fees are based on water meter
size, but for all residential structures and most small businesses
the cost is $3.10 per month. Oklahoma City does not use an
equivalent service unit due to its complexity and potential in-creased
costs to the City.
• Edmond attaches a monthly drainage fee of $2 to most residential utility bills (based on a rate of $2 per 10,000
square feet of impervious area), with a maximum monthly charge of $100 for commercial and industrial sites.
• Bixby, a community of over 13,000 near Tulsa, created a stormwater management fee through Ordinance 550.
This ordinance requires each equivalent service unit (2,650 square feet of impervious area) to pay a monthly
charge of $2.00. The fee is part of each property’s monthly water/utility bill. Proceeds are deposited into Bixby’s
stormwater drainage fund.
Stormwater Control
Control of stormwater is necessary
because development on higher ground
can increase flooding, siltation and
erosion. Changes in the natural
balance require compensations in the
form of well planned and maintained
drainage systems.
Urbanization significantly increases runoff.
Peak rates of stormwater flow increase as
vegetation is removed and the natural
landscape is altered, replacing slow
draining wetlands, depressions, meanders
and gullies with paved areas, fast draining
Tulsa public works officials
estimate that of the 6,000 buildings
damaged in the Memorial Day
Flood of 1984, up to 1,000 would
have been spared if the city’s
stormwater system had functioned
properly.
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 4
Does a Stormwater Management Fee affect eligibility in the NFIP?
A stormwater management fee helps communities remain eligible to receive the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s insurance and disaster assistance benefits. If your community is enrolled in the National Flood Insurance
Program, FEMA requires maintenance of the carrying capacity of any modified channel (including a bridge over the
channel, a concrete-lined ditch or a straightened stream segment, or other alteration to increase the channel’s ability
to carry floodwaters). These channels must be kept open by
cleaning out excessive vegetative growth, silt, and debris.
How do we fund a stormwater program?
Cities need reliable, long-term funding for their stormwater
programs--money safe from shifts in political winds or
changes in local administrations. The recommended first
step in seeking durable funding is to visit with program
administrators in cities that have model programs, such as
Tulsa, Lawton, Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Bixby. Citizens
in some communities have approved a sales tax earmarked
for the drainage program. Others have passed an ordinance
permitting the addition of a stormwater fee to their regular
monthly utility bill. In other areas, city councils have
mandated the fee.
How should a city gain citizen support for the stormwater fee concept?
Naturally, cities that have experienced frequent flooding will find more support for the program. From the beginning,
city officials should solicit input from utility users and seek citizen acceptance through public information, education
and awareness programs.
Clearly, the answer to solving many persistent flooding problems is a
comprehensive stormwater management plan that encompasses the entire
watershed. Floodplain management and stormwater management are
interconnected, so all strategies should target the solution of flooding
problems. An integrated plan includes prevention and control of flooding by
structural and nonstructural means, community participation in the National
Flood Insurance Program, and hazard mitigation strategies.
Published by the
Oklahoma Water Resources Board

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Bulletin No. 3
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SERIES
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 1
For More Information
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
3800 N. Classen Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
(405) 530-8800
www.owrb.state.ok.us
Oklahoma Dept. of Emergency Management
P.O. Box 53365
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3365
(405) 521-2481
OKLAHOMA
Tulsa Field Office
State Agencies Bldg., Rm. 2
440 S. Houston
Tulsa, OK 74127
(918) 581-2924
Woodward Field Office
2411 Williams Ave., Ste. 116
Woodward, OK 73801
(580) 256-1014
Lawton Field Office
601 “C” Avenue, Ste. 101
P.O. Box 886
Lawton, OK 73502
(580) 248-7762
McAlester Field Office
321 S. 3rd Street, Ste. 5
McAlester, OK 74501
(918) 426-5435
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District
Floodplain Management Division
1645 S. 101st East Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74128
(918) 669-4919
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Region VI
800 N. Loop 288
Denton, TX 76209-3606
(940) 898-5399
www.fema.gov/nfip
FEDERAL
This bulletin was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the
United States Government. The views and opinions expressed herein do not
necessarily reflect those of the United States Government or any agency
thereof.
This publication was developed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board
(OWRB) and published with funding from the Community Assistance Program
under cooperative agreement No. EMT-2005-GR-0010 between the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, State of Oklahoma Department of Civil
Emergency Management and OWRB. To obtain printed copies, please
contact the OWRB at 405-530-8800 or pubinfo@owrb.state.ok.us.
Published by the
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
2
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee
Absorbent soils and lands in a community are gradually replaced by less
permeable surfaces, such as parking lots and driveways. Water that once
settled in hollows, meandered around stream curves, and seeped and
soaked into the ground, now speeds downhill, spills into low areas, and
overfills clogged ditches. As a result, flooding occurs more frequently.
Contingent upon any comprehensive plan to control flooding is a strategy
for managing stormwaters. Oklahoma’s progressive cities regard
stormwater management as a service they owe their customers. As a
result, an increasing number of cities are passing ordinances that
recognize this “forgotten utility.” Cities often include stormwater drainage
fees in monthly water/sewer bills. The fees are used to create dependable,
dedicated funds for maintaining stormwater removal systems. Additionally,
this fee can be used for the treatment of stormwater pollution to meet EPA
standards before it is discharged in rivers, lakes, and streams.
Stormwater Management:
The Forgotten Utility
Which residents should be responsible for paying a stormwater utility fee?
Stormwater runs off every property in the city. Residents on both hillsides and lowlands contribute to runoff. Everyone
creates the problem, so everyone should help in its solution.
What is the difference between the stormwater drainage fee and the charge for sewer service on
my utility bill?
The stormwater drainage fee is entirely separate from the sewer (wastewater) system fee. Stormwater drainage
consists of a network of ditches, streams, and underground pipes that safely carry away excess water or runoff. The
wastewater system disposes of water that goes down household drains from sinks, tubs, toilets, and washing
machines.
Why do we need a
stormwater or drainage
fee?
The fee is necessary to maintain
and improve the facilities that
safely carry stormwaters away.
It can be used for the following:
• Inspecting and repairing
storm drains and pump
stations.
• Removing silt and debris
from ditches, creeks, and
streams.
• Improving detention basins.
• Developing a master drain-age
plan.
• Constructing small projects.
• Complying with local flood-plain
management regula-tions.
• Maintaining the flood carrying
capacity of improved or man-made
channels.
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 2
Stormwater Utility Fee Q &A
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 3
How much would a stormwater utility fee add to my
bill?
The cost of abating flood damage caused by inadequate stormwater
drainage systems is affordable if it is allotted equitably among all
citizens in a community. However, public and private costs can be
substantial when floodwaters swamp debris-choked creeks and
channels, clogged and collapsed sewers, and neglected pump
stations.
• Tulsa set its utility fee based on essential costs, and then appor-tions
them among all homes and businesses. Homeowners pay a
stormwater utility fee of $3.10 per month for every 2,650 square
feet of impervious surface on their properties. Tulsa’s program
generates approximately $13 million each year for operation and
maintenance of its stormwater program and the construction of
small flood mitigation projects.
• Oklahoma City’s stormwater utility fees are based on water meter
size, but for all residential structures and most small businesses
the cost is $3.10 per month. Oklahoma City does not use an
equivalent service unit due to its complexity and potential in-creased
costs to the City.
• Edmond attaches a monthly drainage fee of $2 to most residential utility bills (based on a rate of $2 per 10,000
square feet of impervious area), with a maximum monthly charge of $100 for commercial and industrial sites.
• Bixby, a community of over 13,000 near Tulsa, created a stormwater management fee through Ordinance 550.
This ordinance requires each equivalent service unit (2,650 square feet of impervious area) to pay a monthly
charge of $2.00. The fee is part of each property’s monthly water/utility bill. Proceeds are deposited into Bixby’s
stormwater drainage fund.
Stormwater Control
Control of stormwater is necessary
because development on higher ground
can increase flooding, siltation and
erosion. Changes in the natural
balance require compensations in the
form of well planned and maintained
drainage systems.
Urbanization significantly increases runoff.
Peak rates of stormwater flow increase as
vegetation is removed and the natural
landscape is altered, replacing slow
draining wetlands, depressions, meanders
and gullies with paved areas, fast draining
Tulsa public works officials
estimate that of the 6,000 buildings
damaged in the Memorial Day
Flood of 1984, up to 1,000 would
have been spared if the city’s
stormwater system had functioned
properly.
How to Develop a Stormwater Utility Fee - Page 4
Does a Stormwater Management Fee affect eligibility in the NFIP?
A stormwater management fee helps communities remain eligible to receive the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s insurance and disaster assistance benefits. If your community is enrolled in the National Flood Insurance
Program, FEMA requires maintenance of the carrying capacity of any modified channel (including a bridge over the
channel, a concrete-lined ditch or a straightened stream segment, or other alteration to increase the channel’s ability
to carry floodwaters). These channels must be kept open by
cleaning out excessive vegetative growth, silt, and debris.
How do we fund a stormwater program?
Cities need reliable, long-term funding for their stormwater
programs--money safe from shifts in political winds or
changes in local administrations. The recommended first
step in seeking durable funding is to visit with program
administrators in cities that have model programs, such as
Tulsa, Lawton, Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Bixby. Citizens
in some communities have approved a sales tax earmarked
for the drainage program. Others have passed an ordinance
permitting the addition of a stormwater fee to their regular
monthly utility bill. In other areas, city councils have
mandated the fee.
How should a city gain citizen support for the stormwater fee concept?
Naturally, cities that have experienced frequent flooding will find more support for the program. From the beginning,
city officials should solicit input from utility users and seek citizen acceptance through public information, education
and awareness programs.
Clearly, the answer to solving many persistent flooding problems is a
comprehensive stormwater management plan that encompasses the entire
watershed. Floodplain management and stormwater management are
interconnected, so all strategies should target the solution of flooding
problems. An integrated plan includes prevention and control of flooding by
structural and nonstructural means, community participation in the National
Flood Insurance Program, and hazard mitigation strategies.
Published by the
Oklahoma Water Resources Board